The leadership tussle rocking the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has taken another twist as former National Chairman of the party, Ozonkpu Dr. Victor Oye has denied the alleged court declaration of Chief Edozie Njoku as the new APGA National Chairman.
Oye made the clarification while fielding question on the Channels Television programme, ‘Political Paradigm’, hosted by Terry Ikumi on September 10, 2024.
The former APGA boss expressed surprise at how people unaffiliated with the party hierarchy went to Birnin Kudu in faraway Jigawa State to procure a judgment over a matter that occurred in Awka, concerning the leadership of APGA, a party with established procedures for the emergence of its leaders.
He categorically stated that no court in Nigeria has ever pronounced or declared Chief Edozie Njoku as the national chairman of the party, emphasizing that Sly Ezeokenwa remains the APGA National Chairman.
“They went and appealed the same judgment they got from Birnin Kudu at the Kano Court of Appeal. That was when we became aware of it. I applied for a joinder, and the Court of Appeal in Kano, in its wisdom, found merit in my application and granted it. And as soon as my name was joined, that was the end of the case.”
Dr. Oye revealed that the Court of Appeal in Kano helped the party to overturn the judgment from the Jigawa High Court, as well as the subsequent Supreme Court judgment delivered in October 2021, which affirmed the Kano Court of Appeal’s ruling.
He pointed out that INEC had, at one point, recognized another candidate for APGA in the Anambra 2021 governorship election based on the Birnin Kudu judgment, but promptly replaced that candidate with Prof. Chukwuma Soludo after the Kano Court of Appeal quashed the Birnin Kudu ruling.
According to Dr. Oye, the present INEC, led by Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, erred in replacing the name of APGA’s National Chairman, Barr. Sly Ezeokenwa, with that of an imposter. However, he maintained that this does not affect anything within the party.
“INEC claimed there was a court order, and we asked, ‘Which court gave the order?'”
“If you want to permanently solve the APGA issue, bring everyone together. Then, ask the person to produce the report of the national convention that made them the national chairman. INEC will also produce the report of the one they monitored. That settles it.”
Ozonkpu Dr. Victor Oye assured that the current internal issues within the party would not affect Governor Soludo and APGA in the 2025 governorship election in Anambra State.
He reiterated that Sly Ezeokenwa remains the National Chairman of APGA, while Governor Chukwuma Soludo is the National Leader of the party.
Dr. Oye concluded by citing Galatians 6:7-8: “Do not be deceived, for nobody can mock God. Whatever a man or woman sows, that they shall reap,” urging the dissenters to abandon their ill-conceived actions.
“All these people will reap what they’ve sown. I’m a prophet of God. APGA is a spirit if they do not know. They are swimming in shark-infested waters. I advise them to withdraw,” he said.
